Send My Friend Youth Campaigners Invited to 10 Downing Street

This morning four brilliant Send My Friend Campaigners took their #MakeSchoolsSafe message all the way inside 10 Downing Street. Here they report back:

“Today has been an experience I will never forget as it is not every day you visit 10 Downing Street! When we were welcomed in it felt incredible and like the conversations we had in that building would actually make a difference to people’s lives. It was a rather humbling experience as our voices actually had an impact and that is something not everyone can relate to.”Ruby Barwell

“I saw the gleaming Number 10 attached on the iconic heavyweight door awaiting us. Yes, my heart was beating with excitement and joy yet I was expectedly nervous. The atmosphere around me lifted my spirit and allowed me to reflect what an incredible opportunity this was and the fact that we are speaking so passionately to help the 246 million children who experience violence every year. The inside of Number 10 is where decisions are made and the fact that we stood in the place that can make a difference to children across the world fulfills the fact that the next generation can make a difference.”Amelia Bird

“We were given an overview of the building’s history, with Churchill’s worn armchair sitting snug in the corner and Theresa May’s press team typing away along the landing! Handing over our safety signs for the Prime Minister made me feel as if everything we’ve been working on since the launch of the campaign has the opportunity to make an impact; the work that our dedicated students put in to complete the signs, the work that our MP – Bim Afolami – and his parliamentary assistant put in to support us, and the work that our passionate campaigners put in to challenge and hold the government account to the promises they’ve made. We could see the exchange happen directly in front of us, in a place of extreme political importance, knowing that the message we’ve sought to be heard for so long is being acknowledged, hoping that soon our goals will be reached and every child receives the safe, quality education that they deserve.”Katie Sutton

“We were thrilled to present the campaign. We explained where we came from and what the campaign aimed to do along with discussing some of the successes we have already made towards making all schools safe. We were impressed that the advisor had heard about Send My Friend. A lot of work around our school and other schools in the area had lead up to this and we felt like we made an impact with the letter we wrote to Theresa May which contained a collection of work we did with Year 6 and 7 classes throughout the last few months. We hope that this will bring more government attention to the issue of danger in schools and hold them accountable to the promises they have already made about making schools safe.” Ellie Terry

What brilliant work! If that’s left you inspired to take action in your own school, then it’s not too late to take part – download your Teacher Pack today!